Can You Hear Me
by MartunaMajor
Summary: A re-imagining of the fall of Beacon. Cinder attacks the unsuspecting school, and chaos ensues as the grounds are overrun with Grimm. Will the villains fall? Will the heroes survive? And what is their reasoning?
1. Prolougue

Can you hear me?  
One day I know we will meet again,  
watching the world through the eyes of a child.  
Something's reaching out,  
and my entire world is crumbling.  
And it whispers that I am the chosen one.  
All I see is mine to take,  
to have, and to hold...  
to suffocate.  
All I want is mine to keep,  
and I want it all, so Father,  
forgive me.

Standing in the ashes,  
the echoes of our past.  
The smoke has cleared, there are shards of broken mirrors everywhere.  
When I drown in my fears,  
in the darkness of sorrow,  
there's a promise of grace under silver grey skies.  
And I'm drying my tears  
in the blaze of the sunlight,  
a reverie sealed with a kiss.  
You may call me a dreamer,  
call me a fool,  
just a blue eyed believer in you.  
But I'd die for that someone in the blink of an eye,  
so tell me, please tell me, just what kind of fool am I.

We're standing at the crossroads,  
afraid, but not alone.  
You are my reason to stay,  
even if daylight's a lifetime away.  
Tell me, do you remember the games and the laughter,  
far from the choices we'd have to make.  
It's the end of an innocent era,  
beauty we know to be lost.  
Always know that you are not alone.

Can you hear me?  
A thousand missing faces,  
a story of a Rose.  
"In honor of their sacrifice, a new life can be born."  
"I'm grateful, and I leave this world with no regrets at all.  
As life is pouring out of me,  
with all the power left in me,  
I raise my voice...

 _Thus Kindly I Scatter"_

* * *

AN: Hello, and welcome to the prologue of my very first Fan Fiction story. As stated in the summary, this will be a re-imagining of the fall of Beacon, with my own thoughts and ideas put into it. In this story, however, there is no Vytal Tournament this year, since, as I was planning it all, I was overwhelmed by the amount of characters I would have to include. Even as it is, I left out some teams to keep from confusing the story and bogging down the plot.

Now, this story will start official release sometime late April/early May. I wanted to get the entire story done before I started posting this, but it is taking too long. As it is, I have about a third of it done, and plan on making this story a weekly release.

As for the story itself, it will feature different arcs, about 8 in all. That being said, these arcs will not be very long, just a way to show when perspective changes, or who/what we are focusing on for the set of chapters.

Now that all the formality is out of the way, I hope you follow this story to know when I officially post the first chapter. This whole thing isn't just a weird poem, though, it details out how some of the story will run. So, if you can understand some of this, you might be able to know what might happen next in my story. In the meantime, I will catch you guys later.


	2. Arc 1: The Begining

Two orbs, flames licking the edges, boring through the blackness around. They seemed to stare, unblinking, burning into her memories. _'But, how could you?'_ A voice echoed through the darkness. A laughter, light and airy, came from the burning orbs, as another voice spoke.

 _'It was the only choice I could make. But what do you know of life changing decisions? You're still a child. And you could never hope to defeat me. What chance did they have?'_ The orbs disappeared, three different ones taking their place. One blue, one lilac, and one amber. They floated around each other, before something happened. The blue cracked down the middle, then slowly started to fade, until it could no longer be seen. The lilac flashed to a brilliant, bright crimson, before flickering and fading. The amber moved back and forth somewhat frantically, then disappeared into thin air.

The two original orbs reappeared, _'See? Well, this has gone on long enough. It's time to join your mother.'_ Another laugh, this one more cynical as a third orb appeared, engulfed in flames. It was small, but it quickly grew, both in size and intensity. The heat of the flames burned brightly, hungrily consuming everything it touched. Including the arm that came up to block the wave of heat. The orb connected, shattering, throwing fire everywhere. The heat raging as loudly as the screams of pain. It burned so passionately, so painfully, that she almost didn't see another amber orb. _'It's time to die, Ruby Rose'_ The final orb drew closer, until...

"Ruby, can you hear me?"

Ruby's eyes shot open, panicking, she scrambled backwards, curling up into a ball. She was panting loudly as she shook, looking around the room in fear. She was huddled in the corner of her bed, in the dorm she shared with her teammates. She noticed her white haired partner looking at her with concern.

"Ruby, are you ok?" Weiss said, an unusual note of caring in her voice.

"Wha-What happened?" the young leader asked, still tightly curled to protect herself.

"That's what I'm supposed to ask you, dolt." Weiss replied, attempting to calm her partner. "I woke up, and heard you mumbling and tossing, so I got up to check on you. You were muttering something incoherent, until I heard you say something about your mother, and what sounded like groans of pain."

Ruby stared back at the white haired girl, the dream retracting back into the depths of her mind, _'What was that? Where those eyes? And what about my mother?'_

Weiss reached out, gently touching the shaking girl curled up in her bed, attempting to reassure her. "What was your dream about, do you remember?"

Ruby uncurled her legs, relaxing as she stretched back out and looked at the wall opposite her. "N-no, I don't really. It's kinda fuzzy, and I can't really remember w-what happened. Sorry." She hoped her shaky tone was enough to cover up the lie.

Weiss picked up on it, however, but didn't want to press her while she was still shaken up, resolving that she would ask when they returned from classes. "Alright, well, in any case, I'm gonna head into the shower," She said as she jumped down to the floor. "You'd better have yourself ready before I get out, lest Yang takes your spot." Weiss shut the door to the bathroom, and water was heard running a moment later.

Ruby sighed, stretching her muscles out and attempting to calm her mind. _'No use worrying about that now, I'll have time to think about this later today. For now, I have to remember that Ozpin wanted to talk to me alone after classes were done. I wonder what he has to say.'_

Ruby carefully descended from her bunk and started to get ready for her eventual shower. She noticed Blake already up and in her uniform, a book in her hands, and shot a quick salutations to her teammate. Normally, the bookworm wouldn't look past the binding to address a simple greeting, but the interaction between the two partners had her worried.

Lowering her book slightly, Blake spoke quietly, "Did you have a bad dream, Ruby?"

The red head stopped suddenly, turned around, and looked at the faunus with hesitation. "Did... Did I bother you?"

The faunus in question responded with the shake of her head, "No, Ruby, but I am worried. Weiss isn't wrong, you were muttering in your sleep. I could even hear it over Yang's snoring. Is there anything you want to talk about?" Blake punctuated her point by closing her book and setting it on her lap.

Ruby finished grabbing everything she needed and sat next to her teammate, the running water and the growls of the bunk above them were the only sounds that broke the silence between them. After a few moments, she finally responded. "I was calling out? I don't really remember much of the dream, just these large flaming circles, and..." Ruby cut herself off, finally continuing with "Did you hear what I said?"

Blake decided to forget about what was left unsaid, answering the question instead. "Nothing definite. It was mumbled, and I don't think anything was repeated. More like conversation."

"Oh, ok." The young leader drooped her head at the lack of information, hoping for something she could use. _'Now this is going to be driving me nuts all day.'_

The faunus placed a gentle hand on Ruby's shoulder, drawing silver eyes to her own. "I don't want to force you to talk about anything you don't want to, but when you're ready, we're here to listen. And I don't just mean your sister and I. Weiss isn't heartless, no matter how much Yang likes to joke that she is. If there's a problem that you need help with, I'm sure she's willing to help her partner."

As if on cue, the water for the shower shut off. Ruby, however, simply shook her head, looking down to the floor. "What if she thinks I'm childish, or irresponsible? Or maybe she can't help? What then?"

This made Blake giggle, "This is Weiss Schnee we're talking about, of course she can help. And if she doesn't even try, then she's broken her promise to you already."

Red hair whipped around, confusion apparent on her face, "Wait, what promise?"

Black hair shook as a smile took her face. "The promise Weiss made at the beginning of the year, about being the best teammate ever. Did you forget?"

Ruby's cheeks turned redder than the tips of her hair, "Wha- n-no, of course not, but how did you know about that? I never told anyone, and Weiss is too proud to admit it!

"I'm too proud to admit what?"

The young leader was shocked, flubbing for anything to get her out of the situation. "Um, uh, n-nothing, don't worry about it, W-Weiss, it's ok ,I'll just, uh, go ahead and-" The next thing the other girls knew, a few rose petals replaced the young girl, and the door to the bathroom slammed shut violently.

"Huh, wha-What happened? What's wrong?" Yellow hair started to move as lilac eyes tried to find the cause of her awakening.

After a short shower from Ruby, and what felt like an hour from Yang, the team grabbed their gear. Team RWBY left their dorm, ready to take on the day of classes ahead of them. The four girls were walking through the hallway, Ruby bouncing around excitedly, and Weiss mentally preparing herself for a day of dealing with their leader. Yang, on the other hand, had yet to fully shake the sleep from her, while Blake tried to make sure Yang never went off course.

They met up with team JNPR just before heading out of the dormitory, Nora dragging Ren back inside, while Jaune and Pyrrha lazily trailed behind. Nora blazed past the other team with a quick greeting, Ren following with a greeting of his own before they flew around a corner out of sight.

"What's got them in such a hurry?" Weiss asked, turning to the last half of team JNPR.

"Ren didn't get the chance to grab his stuff for class, so Nora decided to help," Pyrrha said.

Ruby stepped up and said, "Well, since it's still pretty early, let's wait for them and walk to breakfast together."

Both Yang and Blake simply nodded their heads and waited for the return of the bubbly Nora and her unfortunate captive. Once both teams were set, they set out towards the cafeteria.

As they got out of the dormitory, they were greeted by a familiar brunette. Ruby almost didn't realize she was there, and nearly ran into her, but was able to successfully dodge away. Weiss, on the other hand, was not as fortunate. Having her eyes closed to take in the day before her, she collided right into the woman in her path. Weiss, at first, gave off a disdainful expression, before realizing who it was. Relaxing into an almost apologetic stance, she recomposed herself before looking at the amber-eyed beauty before her. Blake, Yang, and JNPR, a few steps behind, rounded out the teams, stopping behind Weiss.

"My deepest apologies, I wasn't looking at where I was going. Are you alright Ms..." Weiss trailed off, not knowing what to call the woman before her.

"Cinder... And no need to worry. It was an honest... mistake," Cinder replied with a straight expression, looking straight into Weiss' eyes before turning to her side to look at the first person who had nearly made the same mistake. "You're Ruby, correct?"

Ruby perked up, trying to compose herself from the unexpected question directed at her. "Uhh, yes, yes I am. Nice to see you again, Cinder," Ruby said, rubbing the back of her head, remembering the last time they saw each other was similar to Weiss' experience now.

"If under different circumstances," Cinder whispers smoothly. Continuing, in a louder voice, but never losing the soft and velvety tone, "If you'd excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

Cinder gently glided past Weiss, Blake, and Yang, now fully awake and suspicious of the black-haired woman, disappearing into the building that RWBY and JNPR just exited. "Oh, of course, have a good day!" Ruby shouted back at Cinder.

Yang turned back to her team after keeping a close eye on Cinder and said, "Am I the only one getting a strange feeling about that woman?"

Blake visibly tightened and simply replied, "No"

Ruby spun back around to the courtyard, "Well, we can't worry about that, I'm sure she's fine. We have breakfast to get to!" The rest of team RWBY followed their peerless leader into the rest of the day. Team JNPR looked at each other, confusion on their face as they followed team RWBY

Back in the dormitory, Cinder gracefully strode to the window on the second floor, watching Ruby with an observant gaze. "How did everything go with the little twerp?" said another woman, gently stepping towards Cinder.

"As eventful as ever, Emerald. But you have other business to attend to. Make sure Mercury stays on schedule as well. Everything will come together in time," Cinder gently turned her head to look at her doting lackey.

"At once," Emerald gently bowed her head and stepped back into the shadows.

Turning back to the window, Cinder couldn't help a grin "The time is almost here. Everything will work out, just you wait." Cinder turned and headed back through the dormitory, avoiding any watchful eyes that hadn't made their way to classes yet, and stopped in front of one door in specific. Pulling out a scroll, she placed it up to the lock. The identification for Weiss Schnee emerged on the screen, and a lock clicked out of place, allowing access into the room.

Cinder gently opened the door, looking around at the dorm. With the exception of Yang's sleepwear hastily discarded in her rush to get to the shower, it was surprisingly neat. The black haired woman noted that she would have to be careful as she slid the door closed silently behind her.

* * *

AN: Hello everyone, and welcome to the first official chapter of my first Fanfiction story. I hope you all enjoyed it and want to see what happens next.

First, I would like to point out that this story is rated M for a reason, though there will be no sex scenes. That being said, that shouldn't deter people away from this story, since I have some pretty interesting things planned for the characters in this story.

Now, I will try my best to keep a consistent update schedule, every Thursday, though the time will be different. I will also let you know if a chapter will be delayed. I have written out until chapter 6, and have the whole story planned out in stone, but all I need to do is put it in words and keep it consistent.

Please review and follow if you would like, it helps out tremendously.

-MM


	3. Chapter 2: Darkness Charges

"Now, can anyone tell me the difference between a beowolf's attack habits, and an Ursa's?" Professor Port turned from the white board to call on a student for the answer. It was one of the few times that Port was not indulging the students on a tirade of former glory, but actually teaching. Just before Weiss could get her hand up, however, a loud noise blared around them, causing most of the students to jump in fear. As the alert came again, Professor Port ordered everyone to stay calm and pulled out his scroll. Team RWBY looked at each other, wondering what was going on

Port looked back up from his scroll, addressing the classroom again. "We're under attack by a very large Grimm invasion. We don't have much time, so listen carefully. I need all students to meet in the auditorium. You are not to leave, unless given explicit instructions by the staff. Understood?" Once Port believed everyone understood, he continued, "Well then, some of you get to be lucky enough to see me do real battle against grimm. Let's move out!"

Professor Port made his way to where the fighting was, while the rest of the classroom made their way to the auditorium, rocket lockers finding their destinations for students to grab their weapons so they wouldn't be defenseless. They made sure to avoid as much of the fighting as possible, even though some wanted to get right into the fray. All of team RWBY made sure to stay in eye sight of each other, but that proved difficult with the conditions of the sky. It was only mid-day out, but a heavy smoke filled the air, causing a dreary darkness over the school.

Passing by grimm after grimm, hunter after hunter, and seeing the school nearly being torn to pieces made many of the students rethink their stance on fighting. There were hundreds of grimm surrounding the school, many of them bigger than any the first years had ever seen. They continued their route to the auditorium, blasting a grimm or two back every few steps.

Yang moved alongside Ruby to comfort and protect her little sister, but the young leader kept a face of determination. "Why is this happening, Yang, how did they get here, why are they attacking?"

Ruby continued to focus towards the auditorium, making it hard for her sister to know how she was feeling, but knew she was anxious of the chaos around her. "I don't know, Ruby, but we can make it out of this. We're a team after all, we've faced worse than this."

The redhead kept her head down, "Have we?"

Before Yang could continue to comfort her sister, a Death Stalker came around, blocking their path. One of the first years in front, once he was close enough to it, started a leaping strike with his sword, firing a blast from their hilt to get more momentum. The attack was countered, though, as the Death Stalker reached a claw out and grabbed the student midair. Flailing for a moment in fear, the screams of agony were cut short as their body was cut in half by the giant claws, their lower half falling to the ground. The rest was cast aside as the Death Stalker started to charge, freezing the pack of students.

Ruby appeared in front of her classmates in a flurry of rose pedals "Listen to me, my team and I will draw this Death Stalker away. Get to the auditorium as it's distracted!" Without another word, Weiss, Blake, and Yang took up their position besides their leader, an unspoken plan agreed upon as they stood before the charging grimm.

Ruby and Yang drew their weapons and fired a few shots at the Death Stalker while Weiss and Blake ran off to the side, firing projectiles at the nearly impenetrable armor. Once they believed the grimm was aggravated enough, Ruby and Yang followed their partners in hopes of distracting the charging Death Stalker. Ruby turned her body after using Crescent Rose to propel herself forward, to see if her plan had worked. What she saw was gruesome.

The Death Stalker didn't change direction, but instead, continued the attack into the pack of students still in front of it. Many of the students were able to get out of the way. Some didn't have that luxury. The Death Stalker lunged at one student with its claw, grabbing them and another student with its other claw. It then spun around, knocking another few students away with its stinger. Finally, closing its grip on the two students, slicing them in half, the Death Stalker cried out a ferocious noise, causing the blood of team RWBY to freeze.

"Team, come on! We gotta go back!" Ruby dug the point of Crescent Rose into the ground, stopping her momentum before swinging her weapon behind her and firing to propel her back towards the Death Stalker, her team following close behind.

When they arrived, the situation had turned worse. Many of the students that had managed to dodge the initial attack had begun their retaliation, while others were taking care of the students hit by the grimm's whirling stinger. The counter-attack was uncoordinated, however, with many hunters and huntresses in training running into each other, leaving them as easy targets for the Death Stalker's claws to rip them apart. Team JNPR was the only ones that seemed coordinated enough to launch a counter-attack, but a few stray strikes of other hunters kept them from being able to land a significant hit.

When team RWBY entered the fray, there were less than half of the students from the class still able to hold their weapons, let alone fight. Ruby knew this couldn't continue, losing too many students as it was. Thinking quickly, she once again commanded the attention of the class, "Retreat! You have to run away! Get to the auditorium and leave the Death Stalker to us!"

One of the hunters treating a wounded companion turned to Ruby and shouted, "Some plan, since it worked so well last time! Every team for themselves!" He stumbled away from the grimm, with his teammate in tow, making a beeline for the auditorium. He didn't make it far, as a Nevermore swooped down, grabbing them both, and returning to the skies.

Many of the students saw this interaction and became terrified, following Ruby's command and running for their lives towards the only safe place they knew of, team JNPR escorting them. Once everyone had cleared, team RWBY stood poised for a second chance to accomplish their mission. The Death Stalker turned to the only remaining fighters left and lunged at them.

Team RWBY scattered, the claw smashing into the ground. "Checkmate!" Blake was the first to attack, using Gambol in its katana form, running at the Death Stalker from its left. The grimm swung it's claw at the incoming faunus, but only hit a shadow, the real Blake struck at an opening in the armor at a joint, swinging both the katana and cleaver sheath, causing the claw to fall off completely.

Weiss started her attack after that, coming in from the right, the Death Stalker attacking with its other claw. Weiss acrobatically dodged in, the remaining glyph she left behind froze the claw in place, immobilizing the Death Stalker. "Freezer burn, from up top!" Weiss than made another glyph above the Death Stalker's head where a sharp stalactite formed.

A blast sent Yang into the air, causing a loud scream from her as she came down for the final blow. The Death Stalker, however, brought its last weapon up to stop Yang from delivering its death. Another shot sent Ruby flying past the Death Stalker's body, straight to the stinger headed for Yang. Ruby hooked Crescent Rose around the tail, causing it to be sliced clean through, falling to the ground behind it. Yang made contact with the stalactite, driving it straight through the Death Stalker's armor, pinning in to the ground, finally finished.

* * *

 **AN:** Now you see what this story will really be like. It's not gonna stop here, however, for we still have our villains to introduce.

Again, this is set without the Vytal Tournament, seeing as the story developed easier without the myriad of other characters that would have to play a part. So while you might not see some of your favorites, the whole point was to take what Rooster Teeth made and carry through with that. I focused on the story when planning this, so I hope you take that into consideration.

That being said, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter, and please review, follow, and favorite. It would be much appreciated.

-MM


	4. Chapter 3: Intentions Revealed

The team reconvened around the slowly decaying grimm before taking off to join their classmates. They had the end in sight, but were stopped once more, this time by a Bullhead, delivering some unexpected company before leaving towards the center of the school. Cinder gently floated down, landing with grace. Two others made their way to Cinder's side, a male with gray hair, and a female with a green tint to hers, and red eyes.

Ruby perked up at the three people she recognized. "Cinder, hey, how are things going on your end?"

Weiss, Blake, and Yang relaxed their stances, the blonde keeping a wary eye on the three, still not trusting Cinder completely. It seemed her teammates felt the same, keeping tense and ready to jump at a moment's notice.

Cinder took a step forward, looking at the situation surrounding them, Ruby's eyes following as well. The battlefield around them was bleak. Grimm were everywhere she looked, teachers and staff were all fighting to get back control of the school. But the darkness never seemed to end, for every grimm that was vanquished, another would be there to take its place.

Ruby turned her attention back to the brunette before her. "What do we do, Cinder, s-should we help them?" Ruby was starting to feel uncomfortable. While she always wanted to be a hero and hunt grimm, even she knew that this might be a little bit much for her.

Cinder returned her eyes to the silver of the young leader, feeling familiar to her as the brunette spoke, "Of course not." Ruby took a step back, confusion evident on her face. "They deserve to fall before the very creatures they have worked so hard to exterminate. Such poetic justice can't be stopped, especially by you four."

Ruby took another step back, her silver eyes wide with shock. "What, what do you mean they deserve it?"

Cinder took another step forward, putting the rest of team RWBY into a defensive position. "It's simple, young Rose. The grimm were here long before humans came to existence. They saw humans, and knew that they would be a threat to their life."

"What, how do you know this?" Weiss spurted out.

Cinder looked at the heiress in amusement, simply turning around and waving a hand over her shoulder. "And why should I tell you? It's not like you would ever understand. Not even Summer understood, so what hope does her daughter have."

"WHAT? What do you know of my mother?"

Cinder half-turned, with a smile still on her face, looking into the silver eyes so similar to the ones she saw so long ago. "That's a question for another time. Mercury, Emerald, it's time for the show to start." Cinder started back around before turning to the amber eyes that rivaled hers. "And if you must know, Adam is on his way to the center of Beacon. I suggest you head there now before you miss him."

Yang and Weiss turned their attention to Blake, whose wide eyes and blank stare were concerning them. Weiss, the closest, moved her arm to Blake's shoulder. "Hey, are you ok?"

Blake turned to Weiss, a newfound look in her eyes. To say it was anger would be an understatement. Enraged, Blake turned and sprinted towards the courtyard, yelling back at her teammates, "I have to end this!"

"Blake, wait!" Yang called out to her partner, giving Weiss a look of concern.

Weiss looked towards the Faunus, making her way around a building and out of sight, before turning to Yang, the confliction evident in her face. "Go, help your partner. I'll make sure nothing happens to your sister. Keep your scroll on you."

Yang nodded and made her way to follow her partner as Cinder walked back to her accomplices, turning to one. "Mercury, make sure they aren't interrupted. This needs to be a memorable reunion, and I don't want anyone messing that up."

With a smirk, Mercury made his exit, leaving the other girl waiting for her own orders. Cinder continued to glide, changing her direction towards the airship port.

"Wait, what do you know about my mother? When did you meet her?" Before Ruby could ask any more questions, Cinder waved her hand, calling to the girl next to her.

"Emerald." The red eyed girl turned and ran to the redhead, pulling the two revolvers from their holster and turning them into sickles. As she closed the gap, Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose and prepared to defend herself. Emerald used one blade to swipe vertically towards Ruby, spinning around to bring the second down in a similar fashion.

Ruby brought her scythe up to block the attacks, bouncing off and bouncing away as she prepared for a counterattack. Spinning her scythe around, she swiped at her opponent, who dodged out of the way, another swing from the scythe following quickly after.

With a jump further out of range, Emerald started firing at the redhead, causing Ruby to disappear, leaving rose petals in her wake. Behind the rose petals came a blue shield and a white flash as Weiss started an attack.

Blocking the thrust with her sickle, Emerald spun it around and locked the weapon with her own, dragging it out of her hand and throwing it away. She followed it up with a swipe of her other sickle, sending Weiss flying away from Myrtenaster. Emerald started walking towards the downed heiress as she was getting up, looking for an escape. The sickles unhooked from the barrel, and a chain followed behind as she gently twirled them around, sparks flying as they connected with the cobblestone underneath.

"Don't you touch her!" Ruby came flying from behind Emerald, slashing Crescent Rose at the woman before her. Feeling no resistance, Ruby flew past her intended target and went sailing over Weiss, crashing and sliding on the ground.

Emerald looked at the crumpled mass of red and grinned, turning her attention to the white before her. She turned the handle in her right hand, swinging the kusarigama at Weiss. A glyph appeared under the heiress as she jumped over the swing, only to be met with another one swinging from above, sending her flying towards her partner.

Weiss landed on her feet, a glyph absorbing some of the impact as she slid to Ruby's side, the leader lifting herself, looking at her opponent.

Only Emerald was no longer there

Ruby then heard a noise, no louder than a whisper, but unable to grasp what it was. She also heard a cry of agony come from beside her, much more audible. Twisting to her side, despair coursed through her as she saw something she fought so hard to prevent.

Emerald stood bent next to Weiss, a slight smile on her face as her sickle was digging into Weiss' abdomen, the point sticking out of her back. Weiss was hunched over, a few drops of red forming at her feet. The blue eyes slowly losing their light as the strength in her body eventually left her.

Ruby stared wide eyed at the torment before her. She was paralyzed for a moment, a thousand thoughts running through her head. _'I failed. I promised I would always keep my team safe. How could I have failed. This shouldn't have happened. This can't be happening. Weiss... This isn't your end. I won't allow it!'_ Ruby's face swiftly switched from shock and terror to a face of unbridled rage.

Emerald removed the sickle from Weiss, causing the heiress to fall to the ground. Red eyes locked with silver. The anger burning within Ruby burst as she started swinging wildly. "HOW DARE YOU TAKE AWAY WEISS FROM ME! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO DIE HERE AND NOW! NOT BY YOUR HANDS! SHE DESERVES TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE!"

* * *

 **AN:** And there you have it. The villains have been introduced, and we have more questions that need answers. Don't worry, every question I meant to have posed will be answered, so no worries there.

Now, to bring about the main mechanic of this story. As you can see, team RWBY has been divided, and each member has a specific addition to this story, and I need to address them all. So, starting next chapter, the perspective shall switch. Originally, it was from a 3rd person explanation of what all is happening, but now it will focus on one specific character. Which one? Check back and see.

Now that we have that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review, follow, and favorite. It would be much appreciated.

-MM


	5. Arc 2: White

Weiss turned to look at Ruby, making sure she was with her. Though what she saw threw her off, as a look of pure terror was plastered on her face, directed at her. After a moment, it shifted into rage.

"Ruby..." was the only thing that was able to pass her lips as the scythe came flying towards her wildly. Weiss dodged the first one, the next coming shortly afterwards, a quick glyph deflecting it away.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE AWAY WEISS FROM ME! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO DIE HERE AND NOW! NOT BY YOUR HANDS! SHE DESERVES TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE!" Ruby screamed, tears falling from her eyes as the blade came faster, her semblance kicking in.

Weiss used another glyph to widen the distance between herself and her wild attacker. "Ruby, stop! What are you doing? I'm right here!"

Ruby stopped for a moment, a look of confusion on her face. She shook her head, anger returning, and started to charge Weiss again. "No, you can't confuse me! I know what you did, Emerald, AND YOU'RE GOING TO PAY!" Rose petals started falling as the leader used her semblance to zigzag between one side and the other.

Weiss knew that without her weapon, this fight wouldn't last much longer. Preparing a plan, she waited for the strike, the training between them meant she knew exactly what Ruby's next move was. Anticipating the scythe, Weiss created a glyph on her right side, Crescent Rose connecting right when it formed. The glyph then turned black, holding the weapon in place. She quickly created another glyph underneath herself, sending her to Myrtenaster.

Just before Weiss could grab her weapon, a shot threw her off course. Stopping herself, she looked towards the direction of the bullet. Emerald had one revolver pointed at Weiss, the other sitting in the holster. "Nu uh, can't have that. That would ruin the fun. Now, why don't you be a good girl and Whoa-" The glyph under Emerald sent her flying up, giving Weiss enough time to retrieve her weapon and attack. She struck her from behind, sending her across the school grounds.

"EMERALD, GET BACK HERE! I WILL AVENGE... WEISS?"

Weiss looked back to her partner, who seemed to snap out of whatever control Emerald had on her. That didn't stop Weiss from being tackled to the ground by her leader in a crushing hug. "You're alright! I saw Emerald kill you, but here you are! Wait, where's Emerald?" Ruby removed herself as Weiss only pointed towards where the red eyed opponent was sent after her attack. "Ok, what happened?"

Weiss huffed, shoving Ruby off and standing up. "You started attacking me! After spouting something about what I deserve, you started swinging your scythe at me. Pretty viciously, might I add. What happened?"

Ruby stood up herself, refraining from looking at her partner as she simply said "I thought you were her."

"That's probably the best answer I'm gonna get right now. Come on, we have to stop her before Cinder gets away." Weiss made to rush her opponent, but stopped as Ruby spoke up.

"Actually, I need to go after Cinder now. I need to know what she knows about my mother."

"What?" Weiss looked at her partner in disbelief.

Silver eyes finally locked with blue, "I can't let her escape if I can learn something about my mother. Please, I have to know." Ruby's face formed a look of pleading

Weiss sighed, looking away from her leader, "And you think I can deal with Emerald by myself?"

"Nope."

The heiress looked back at her partner, "What do you mean 'nope'?"

Ruby sighed and took Weiss' hand, "I mean you won't be by yourself. Even if I'm not here, I'll still be able to help you. Same with Yang and Blake. We're a team. We're always there to help each other, even if we aren't physically there. Does that make sense?"

Weiss scoffed, "No. What are you talking about?"

Ruby sighed before continuing "I mean that we can accomplish a lot if we believe in and fight for each other. It'll help us oof-" Ruby was knocked back by a blast.

"Are you two done holding hands and staring longingly into each other's eyes? It's gross to watch."

Weiss looked back to make sure her leader was alright before turning to her opponent. Emerald held one revolver to her side, a bored look on her face. The heiress felt her blood boil, "How dare you attack in such a cheap and callous manner. Do you have no regard for the rules of - Hey!"Another bullet was fired, blocked by a swipe of her sword.

"Come on, Ice Queen. Stop babbling and fight me already!" Emerald drew her second pistol and started firing. Weiss quickly built up a wall of ice, turning to Ruby, who had recovered.

"Alright, you go and hold off Cinder, and I'll be around to help. Don't overdo yourself, and remember I'm not there to help you out. Now go." Weiss stood poised for the fight ahead of her.

"Weiss..."

"GO!" A flurry of rose petals were all that answered her as Ruby bolted off towards the airship port where she saw Cinder headed.

Weiss turned her attention towards Emerald, who was watching the disappearing mass of red with a smile. She stepped out of her protection, and Emerald turned her attention back to her. With both pistols ready, she waited for her opponent to make the first move.

Weiss took advantage of this, rocketing towards her opponent with her weapon in a thrust. Emerald giggled, and moved to block the attack as she did last time. It would have been executed perfectly if the blade was still there. Instead, a glyph changed the position of the attack, as Myrtenaster struck her from above, continuing strikes down her back before a final thrust sent her stumbling.

Recovering quickly, Emerald released her sickles, sending the kusarigamas back around her. Weiss landed on the ground, using another glyph to retreat outside of the range as they sailed away. Channeling her aura through Myrtenaster, she spun the chamber, landing on blue, before sending it to four glyphs, icicles shooting out from them.

Emerald jumped and spun, the kusarigamas spinning around her, destroying the icicles, before landing and reverting one of her weapons to pistol form, firing at Weiss. The heiress used another glyph to escape the blows, setting up a circle of glyphs around her opponent. After the circle was complete, Weiss jumped to one, sending herself to another, striking Emerald as she passed, then jumped to another.

After three jumps, a kusarigama came from outside the circle, wrapping around Weiss' foot, and dragging her out of her attack. She was hurled through the air and into the ground, causing a small crater in the ground as the stone gave way to Weiss' aura.

Weiss slowly regained her footing, searching for her opponent, but not finding her anywhere. Hearing a soft sound, she turned to see Emerald coming in for an attack with her sickle from her left. Positioning to defend herself, she was suddenly hit from behind, sending her into an image that disappeared, before she landed on a glyph. Turning around, she heard another sound, seeing Emerald charging her from the front.

Not being fooled a second time, Weiss channeled her dust and sent a wave of ice all around her, a hit coming from beside her, sending Emerald back from her sneak attack, the faint, fading. _'Now I know what her semblance is. All I have to do is listen and keep track of her.'_ Weiss thought as she moved to her opponent.

Weiss shifted Myrtenaster, revolving her dust chambers, settling with wind. Repositioning herself, she swirled her sword around, creating a mini tornado, lifting up light debris, and Emerald, spinning her around and sending her flying once again, colliding with the side of the school before settling into the ground. Weiss moved closer to her opponent, making sure she was down.

Cautiously, she approached Emerald, who was sitting against the building, unmoving. She stood for a few moments before being satisfied with her work, turning away to follow her partner, until she heard a soft noise. Turning back, she saw that Emerald was gone. She looked around, taking small steps to keep moving. She was suddenly hit with something, causing her to stumble. After she recovered, she looked around for her attacker. But she couldn't see anything. Even as another strike hit her from her left. Attempting to counterattack, her blade sliced through the wind, missing its intended target.

Looking around, she realized what was happening as another hit glanced her side, spinning her before another hit sent her stumbling forward. _'Alright, that's it.'_ Weiss flipped the chamber of Myrtenaster to blue as ice started to flow through the blade, forcing it into the ground, causing a large area around her to freeze. _'Just because I can't see you doesn't mean you're not here.'_

Weiss removed Myrtenaster and continued looking, this time focusing on the ice. After a moment, Weiss found what she was looking for, a reflection in the ice, showing her exactly were Emerald was. Her opponent also picked up on this, attempting to make a retreat, but being unsuccessful in the ice. Weiss, on the other hand, used a glyph under Emerald to stop her from returning to sure footing, ice slowly encasing her feet, legs, and arms in ice.

Emerald struggled against her restraints, but to no avail. She was stuck solid. Weiss moved up to her, grabbing her face, forcing her red eyes into her blue. "Why are you doing this? What do you gain?"

The captive simply laughed, looking into Weiss' eyes with defiance. "It doesn't matter if I tell you, you're gonna die anyway, whether it be by Cinder, or her."

Weiss looked back in confusion, "Her? There's someone else?"

Emerald continued to laugh, "Of course there's someone else! Who do you think got all of these grimm into the school?"

Weiss was getting frustrated, "So what can you-"

"Oh, big bad Schnee, what're you gonna do, throw your money at me?" Emerald interrupted

Weiss gave a look of rage, "Hey, I-"

"Oh, maybe she'll call for her daddy! She can't do anything by herself anyway! Can't even be a leader of her own team! How worthless do you feel knowing how much you f-Aahh!"

Weiss was done talking, deciding to teach Emerald a lesson, sending her in her ice prison hurling through the air, breaking on contact with the ground. She was fuming, stomping towards her previous captive, still lying on the ground, laughing hysterically. "And what, might I ask, is so funny?"

Emerald was rolling on the floor, clutching her side as her laughter grew. She could barely contain herself before she finally revealed something. "You- You fell for it, you totally fell for it! How stupid can you be?"

Weiss was confused, until she realized what she was laughing at. It was a realization that came too late, as a sickle came from her right, slowing slightly as it pierced through her remaining aura, and embedding itself into Weiss' right eye.

* * *

 **AN:** And here we have it, another week, another chapter. Seems like a long time, yet no time at all, since I went on vacation between chapters. A little bit of a different style, focusing more on Weiss than on everyone around, but still familiar.

Shout out to Gorsouul for the awesome reviews on my story so far. He's given me some good advice and made me want to go back and redo certain sections of chapter 2 and 3, which I might do at the end of this.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please review, follow, and favorite. It's always appreciated!

-MM


	6. Chapter 5: Eye on the Prize

**"** AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH" Weiss stumbled backwards, the sickle dislodging from her eye as she brought her right hand up to cover the wound. Another cry of pain sounded across the school grounds as the heiress dropped to her knees, clutching Myrtenaster in one hand, her eye in the other.

A howl of laughter echoed around her, "This is better than I imagined! Look at this Schnee groveling before me!" Emerald slowly approached the fallen mass of white, red slowly dripping to the ground. Emerald lowered herself to Weiss, grabbing her face and lifting it.

Weiss' single blue eye met with the red duo before her, fear and pain mixing in her face as she stared, a red line staining the white complexion. "Say goodbye to everyone you love. I'm not letting you walk away again." Emerald lifted herself, bringing her sickle up to deliver the finishing blow.

The weapon came down, aiming for the neck of her fallen opponent, but a flash of red caused the blade to bounce off, nearly ripping it from her hand. Emerald would have stumbled back if a glyph hadn't stopped her. Weiss stood, Myrtenaster surging with red dust in her hand as she struck, once from the left, once from the right. She spun, continuing her momentum, and brought another strike upwards, releasing the glyph to send her into the air.

Feeling the dust coursing through the blade, concentrating at the tip, she sent a fireball towards her assailant. There was a screech of agony as it connected, blasting Emerald back across the school, connecting again with the same building as before, this time causing the wall to crumble around her.

Weiss knelt down again, the pain resurfacing as a few new drops of blood left her hand. She slowly brought Myrtenaster towards her eye socket, gently pressing it against her skin, a warm feeling started to sear painfully.

"Aaaaah... Rrrrgh... Mmmm." As the red dust emptied from the chamber, closing her wound, she shifted the chamber to blue. A soothing cool replaced the heat as a small ball of ice formed, gently growing to fit inside the socket. She closed her eye, testing her temporary bandage and replacement and sighed. "Ruby's not gonna like this."

She shakily stood up straight looking towards the weakened structure, keeping a defensive posture as she made her way towards her opponent. She made a note of the remaining dust left in Myrtenaster. _'No more fire dust, and not much ice left, either. If only I was able to grab some extras before this all happened._ ' Not wanting to get fooled a second time, Weiss approached, the dust settling to reveal that Emerald was still trying to fight, hindered by a large piece of debris pinning her legs underneath, her weapons nowhere to be seen.

Bright red eyes were slits, glaring at the heiress as she drew near. "So, this is how it ends?"

Weiss kept her eye open, looking around herself once more before addressing her defeated foe. "Not quite, Emerald. You still have some explaining to do."

Emerald retained her aggressive glare, but decided to have some fun. "What can I assist you with, Ice Queen?"

Weiss face shifted from shock to unbridled rage, her knuckles white as she gripped Myrtenaster tightly. "What?! Why does EVERYONE insist on calling me that? What is with that?" The heiress then let out a sigh, relaxing her grip on her weapon, and her posture. "No, I won't fall for that again. I can't let you escape before you answer my questions."

Emerald had a small smirk on her face, watching her opponent attempt to recompose herself. "I am here to serve, Ice Queen."

Brushing off the last comment, the white haired victor turned back to her captive, her resolve steeled. "What's going on, why are you attacking Beacon?"

Emerald scoffed, breaking eye contact, and looked around the school grounds, a hint of sorrow scrapping across her face. "Isn't it sad that how such powerful huntsman fall so quickly to such creatures? It's... horrendous, isn't it?"

Weiss was nearing the end of her patience, not wanting to waste time and let her leader down. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Crimson eyes returned to the icy blue orb before her, the cocky smirk returning to her face. "Why Ice Queen, it means everything. A group as powerful as the huntsmen should be able to prevent their own extinction at the claws of the very things they swore to eradicate."

The single blue eye widened, silver white hair shaking back and forth, the petite white clad huntress in trailing feeling a sudden chill at the choice of word. "E-Extinction?"

"Of course, that is our main goal, to wipe huntsmen off the face of this world," Emerald's voice was growing louder. "To make them pay for the atrocities they have committed against nature." Still louder, a shout coming from the pile of debris, "Huntsmen and humanity have overstayed their welcome, and it's us who will cleanse the filth from Remnant... starting with the schools!"

Weiss took a step back, trying to process the information. "But... What do you mean atrocities against nature? How have we overstayed our welcome?"

"Hahahaha HAHAHAHAhahaha. Oh, that's rich coming from the blood of a Schnee." Emerald continued her laughter, a sound that was driving Weiss crazy. "Your father's precious company is the one that was the biggest causes. Without you, Remnant might have stood a chance of surviving for longer, but humanity, it all of its infinite wisdom, decided to be greedy.

Weiss suddenly knew exactly what Emerald was talking about. The Schnee Dust Company, the biggest supplier of natural dust in all of Remnant. It was easy to know that it had to do with dust itself. But in what way? Was it how they were extracting it from the planet? Or was it the way they were using it? Either way, dust was a part of their life, an irreplaceable source of power. There was no way they could stop using it.

Weiss moved closer to her captive, "So dust mining is destroying Remnant?"

Emerald sighed, leaning back against her stone prison, "You got it, Queeny. Won't do you any good now, will it."

The heiress wasn't about to play any more games. She pointed Myrtenaster, "What is the rest of your plans?"

"Wouldn't you like to know. Sorry, but that's all you're getting from me." The green haired girl repositioned herself, bringing her hands up to grasp the stone imprisoning her. She then started to push the rock off, slowly moving it away from her legs.

Weiss immediately knew what was happening, the blue dust within Myrtenaster concentrating on the glyph that was now formed around Emerald. Within a moment, she was frozen completely.

As she struggled to free herself from the ice, red eyes fell upon her opponent again, a wicked grin falling upon her. "Well well, seems like you're nearly out of dust. No more fire or ice for you, and if you want to get to your precious leader in time, I suggest you start moving now. Never know what kind of... accident may befall that innocent girl after too long."

The blue eye widened in shock as she had drained the rest of her blue dust, leaving just lightning and wind. "Fine, I guess I'll come back for you later." She turned to look out to where Ruby followed Cinder, not knowing how her partner was fairing. _'Either way, she'll need my help, dust or not.'_

Weiss formed a glyph underneath herself, infused with yellow dust allowing for more speed. She readied herself, then blasted towards her destination, the airship port, with only one thought in mind. _'I hope I'm not too late.'_

* * *

 **AN:** And so the plot thickens, though the whole picture is still not here. We'll have another piece in the next arc, following a different character. You'll have to wait to see who, though.

Now, I know Emerald is a little out of character in this situation, though in all honesty, we've only really seen her in this type of situation once. And even then, she was younger and only interested in thieving, so who knows? Again, this is a re-imagining, so characters might be a little off.

That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review, follow, and favorite. It's much appreciated.


	7. Arc 3: Yellow

A flash of black hair whipped around the next corner, her blonde partner giving chase, remnants of fallen grimm littering her wake. As she passed the building, she saw Blake morphing Gambol Shroud, throwing the pistol blade ahead of her, latching onto something, and throwing herself further ahead. "Come on, Blake." Yang murmured to herself, activating her gauntlets to follow as fast as she could.

Continuing through the school grounds, lilac eyes never again caught a glimpse of her partner, until she finally arrived at the grand courtyard, now marred with blood and destruction. Blake stood face to face before a man with bright red hair, horns protruding from his head, and a grimm mask obscuring his face.

 _'Is that Adam?'_ Yang didn't care, all she knew was that her partner needed her, and she wasn't going to let her down.

"BLAKE!"

Suddenly, the blonde went flying, crashing through a wall and landing, rather gracelessly, in a pile of debris.

"What, is that all it takes to beat huntsmen in training nowadays? Man, could've left you to the grimm for sure."

"GRRRRAAAAAHH!" A large explosion of energy erupted from the collapsed rubble, sending shards flying towards the attacker. A rather large section was sent directly towards him, but a swift kick broke it into pieces, landing harmlessly in front of him. He could feel the heat stemming from his target, seeing Yang's aura flaring brightly as her eyes seemed bloodshot.

He smirked, readying a fighting stance, "Oh, so you are still able to fight. Been waiting for a challenge." The blonde simply grinned in response.

They both rushed at each other, a haymaker thrown into a side kick, connecting against each other. Yang stumbled back while her opponent spun back into his stance, charging again. Yang wasn't going to let him have the best of her again, as she somersaulted over his back kick. Once she landed, Yang fired a shot from Ember Celica, though he back flipped over the blast, sending a kick intending to hit Yang's skull.

All it did, however, was graze a hair from her head, the blonde strand slowly falling between them.

The brawler's eyes widened, watching the scene as if it was an abomination. Only, her opponent didn't give her a chance to counter, as a blast from his boot sent her clear of the courtyard and towards the edge of the forest. As she came skidding to a halt, Yang quickly composed herself, getting more pissed off than before.

"Alright, this ends now!" She took off sprinting towards the original fight, only to be stopped short by the all too familiar growls of grimm. It was distant at first, but suddenly, she saw charging Beowolfs growling and ready to pounce on her.

They were rushing mercilessly, until the first to arrive took the dive, claw first, only to be swiftly beat back with a blast from the blonde. That was when the others caught up, attempting to claw at the huntress, tear her apart piece by piece. But none managed to make contact, Yang too aggravated to let them have the satisfaction. She started looking around for more until she heard something she didn't expect.

Clapping.

"Bravo, mighty huntress. Sure showed those grimm not to mess with you. If only you fought against me with such skill." Her opponent sauntered towards her, his gray eyes peering directly into crimson.

"Who are you?" Yang asked, keeping a fighting stance.

He laughed, breaking eye contact to throw his head back. "So, you do speak, and start off with the most clichéd question you possibly could!" As he calmed down, he returned his gaze to her. "Well, since you bothered to ask, I might as well tell you. The name's Mercury, and I'm here to stop you from interrupting the beautifully bloody reunion your partner is going to have with her boyfriend."

This threw Yang off guard, lowering her stance slightly, "What?"

Mercury tried his best to stifle his laughter, "Well, I mean ex-boyfriend, but that's just semantics at this point."

Crimson eyes focused again, "Well then, how do you intend to keep me from helping Blake? I'm really **Mercurious** about your plan there."

This caused the whole scene around them to freeze, her opponent trying to figure out what he just heard. "Did... Did you just-"

"Yup, whatcha gonna do about it?"

Mercury continued to stand, appearing like a statue. Suddenly, he dashed forward, roaring at her, "HOW DARE YOU MAKE A PUN OUT OF MY NAME! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" He rushed straight towards her, jumping and throwing two legs out.

Yang threw her arms up to block the kick, stumbling back from the blast that followed up the initial impact. Mercury twisted around, landing on one foot and continuing his momentum into another jump, spinning around and sending his heel towards his opponent. He felt impact, and tried to follow through so he could land and continue his assault. Only, the impact wrapped around his foot, changing his trajectory to follow the whims of the brawler.

She continued spinning him in circles around herself until she let go, sending him into the air, soaring through the nearly open space between the school and the forest. After quite a flight, Mercury righted himself and blasted upwards, slowing his decent, and looked back at his opponent, finding an empty patch of ground. He quickly scanned around him, only to hear a blast coming from above. As he looked up, he saw a meteor barreling down on him with incredible speed. Extending an arm, Yang connected to his face, the follow up blast from Ember Celica sending Mercury plummeting into the ground, leaving a large crater in his wake.

As the blonde landed, she looked down into the hole she stood atop, seeing an unmoving body at the bottom. She sighed, satisfied with the outcome, until she saw the body take motion, lifting himself and brush off the dust that accumulated on his clothes. He turned and looked up at the blonde before him, his gray eyes devoid of any humor or joke.

He started walking towards his opponent, looking unfazed from the impact. Yang was flabbergasted, and started back pedaling from the hole. He jumped out of the crater, landing with a metallic **thunk** , as he continued his march. The blonde recovered and pressed her attack, starting with a right hook, which was blocked by a left arm. He followed up with the right, though she dodged under it. Spinning under the attack, Yang brought her left fist back up and connected right as Mercury raised his right foot, blasting into her abdomen, sending both of them flying back. The blonde back flipped through the momentum, landing safely, while shots from his boots righted her opponent before landing gracefully.

Yang was started to get tired of this, sending blasts from her weapon towards her enemy. The blasts never hit their target as Mercury quickly dodged, using his boot's weapon to quicken his pace. After just a few shots, he rocketed upwards, flipping around and brining his leg up, driving it downwards into the arms of the blonde's defense. She pushed him off, sending him into a back flip, using his weapon to start twisting around as she sent a kick into the open air, spinning around with the momentum to deliver a crushing blow when he landed.

Mercury landed into a crouch, causing the blast from Ember Celica to hit open air. He took advantage of his opportunity and leaned back on his hands to throw his boot crashing straight into Yang's chin, sending her into the air. She flipped into a soft landing, using the blasts from her weapon behind her to force herself forward. She drove towards her opponent, sending a blasted blow into her opponent, but it was deflected. She continued her momentum into another attack, but the fist continued against Yang's intentions.

The continuous movement threw her off as a kick came from the side, hitting her and causing her to spin in place. Once she was able to gain control of herself, Mercury was in the air, twisted around, and threw another kick into Yang's head, sending her into the ground.

"So, you are a challenge. Don't disappoint me."

* * *

 **AN:** Hello, sorry this is a day late. With my new job having night hours, I forget which day of the week it is. No matter, here's Yang's part of the story. Definitely starting off strong, though the urge to make another pun is almost too much.

This fight scene was a little easier to write, because there already is a canon fight between these two, and I admit I did steal a few moves from the episode. However, I did try to deviate where I could, but still keep their styles, and I think I did pretty well. Had to research different fighting moves and styles for 5 hours straight to get an idea of how everything would work, but the great part about having weapons that propel people in any direction needed means that you can just throw physics out the window. Well, a little bit.

And for the customary send off, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (sorry for being late), and please review, follow, and favorite. Every review helps 'review' my vigor to write this story. (I said urge was strong.)


	8. Chapter 7: Pushed Too Far

Another blast sounded as the fighters seemed to be evenly matched, neither gaining any footing towards the other, every hit either dodged or reciprocated. Yang landed, jumping back again as a foot barely passed by her, a shot from her weapon sending her straight towards her opponent again. Mercury had a similar idea as he rocketed forwards, flipping once in the air as fist met foot, the collision sending both of them away from the impact. The fighters landed, though one was determined to end this soon as she drove towards her opponent again, wanting to gain the upper hand. She sent a flurry of blows, each accented by a shot from Ember Celica, but none seemed to break the defense. A counter kick collided with Yang's arm, opening an opportunity that she was not letting pass up.

She grabbed onto the leg, holding it steady as she sent a punch into Mercury's abdomen, causing him to flip backwards, sending his free leg back into his attacker, hitting her aura again.

Yang stumbled backwards, abandoning her opponent's appendage. As she balanced herself, she was done with this fight. "Alright, this is the end of this!" A burst of energy reverberated through the air around them, Yang drawing on her semblance and anger. With a burst from Ember Celica, she returned to the offensive, throwing blow after blow at her opponent, each one growing in speed and ferocity. So much so, that Mercury was having a hard time keeping up.

A blow from the right collided with another part of the defense, a swing from the left missing its intended target, a boost from his boots keeping him safe. But Yang pressed the attack, throwing everything she had into every hit, until an uppercut hit true, throwing Mercury's chin skyward, followed by the rest of his body. As he came down, an elbow collided with his stomach, sending him tumbling away.

As he regained his footing, standing to counterattack, an explosion at his feet unbalanced him again. Unable to see his opponent, he was blindsided by the haymaker that drove into his aura, sending him away, skidding on the ground until he halted in place.

"Just stay down already!" Yang screamed, her anger flowing through her aura. After a few moments, she saw that Mercury wasn't moving. Taking that as a sign that the fight was over, she made her way back to Beacon, wanting to help her partner in any way she could.

A blast was heard from behind her, and she turned around just in time for a white missile to connect with her face, sending her into a back flip. Yang recovered quickly, landing on her feet to see a tornado of blasts starting to form around her opponent who was twisting himself in a circle.

"Alright, that's it!" Yang screamed as another three shots came towards her. She used her gauntlet's blast to speed herself towards Mercury, avoiding the first two shots and letting her aura absorb the last before rocketing through the tornado, attempting to land the finishing blow and end the fight.

The first punch she threw was deflected, a swipe from her opponent glancing off her weapon. He threw a kick upwards from his left foot, then back downwards, hitting Yang's defenses again. As the brawler tried to counterattack, however, Mercury brought his foot up again, connecting with Yang's stomach, sending her into the air. He leaped into the sky, flipping around to add more momentum behind a downward kick. Yang managed to bring her arms up in time, but the force of the blow sent her like a meteor into the ground.

As Mercury landed, the blasts that were surrounding them descended onto his downed opponent, bathing her in white light.

Mercury turned from the explosion behind him, confident that the match was over. "Gotta say, kinda disappointed," he said, walking away.

The area around him was just on the edge of the Emerald Forest, so he couldn't get a good look at the destruction of Beacon. He could hear hordes of grimm rampaging around the grounds, the hollowed screams and ferocious roars echoed through the air around him. He watched as a swath of black fell upon every crevice he could see, the sheer mass overpowering a few of the hunters before they could realize that they had lost.

A smile formed on his face as he observed, content to wait for the next part of his mission. What he didn't expect was to hear any noise coming from his downed opponent behind him.

"Why? Why are you doing this? What benefit do you get out of this?" Yang slowly rose, her aura doing all it could, but it was almost gone, and they both knew it.

Mercury didn't bother turning to face her, he simply enjoyed the sounds around him. "What, do you want some long winded monologue about how terrible my childhood was? Some sob story about how big of a bastard my father was to somehow humanize me, to make me out to be someone who has been misunderstood, and am somehow redeemable?"

He quickly turned on his heels, "Sorry, Blondie, that's not gonna happen. Now, if you'd be so kind as to-"

Suddenly, a huge explosion was heard, the remnants of the blast being seen over the buildings that remained standing. Both fighters looked towards where the explosion came, a terrible feeling welling up inside of Yang's gut.

"Ruby..."

Mercury turned back and laughed, "Hahahaha, oh wouldn't that be great! First your mother abandons you, off to anywhere that isn't near you. Then your step-mother dies attempting to be heroic, and now your sister has fallen to the same fate, trying to be the knight in shining armor and can't handle the fight! Now you, failing to protect her, or your partner, or anyone in your life you care about. What's the plan now, Yang, gonna make a ballsy last ditch effort to defeat me? I want to see how that plays out for you."

"Shut up SHUT UP **SHUT UP!"** Yang sprinted forwards, using her gauntlets once again to propel herself forwards, her anger blinding her into her ballistic charge.

"What, first you ask me to talk, now you want me to shut up? Make up your mind." Mercury readied up, adopting a low stance and widening his feet just a little more.

" **EEEEENOUGH!"** Yang kept up her speed, not caring about what happened. _'No, I can't lose Ruby, not after so much! I have to protect her, I have to be stronger... I_ _HAVE_ _to win!'_ Yang jumped into the air with another blast from Ember Celica, raising her fist to her cheek, a tear slowly rolling down it as her aura flared brightly.

The fist impacted with the ground, the dirt unable to stop the force as a hole opened up, though Mercury had jumped out of the way, landing near the edge of the pit. He readied himself again and sped back towards Yang, confident he had her right where he wanted.

As soon as Mercury was close enough, blood red eyes snapped open, anger seething through her body. Yang calmly sidestepped the attack and snapped her hand up, grabbing Mercury's neck, a death grip that almost snapped it immediately. She dragged her opponent around herself, slamming his head into the rock next to her, dazing him. She quickly jumped up onto his chest, her knees pinning his arms, and struck his unprotected face.

Yang continued her blows, unrelenting, her anger taking control. She never noticed when his body stopped twitching. She never heard when his cries of pain silenced, yet turned more horrific. She raised her fists together, about to bring down her final blow.

A bright light shown from Beacon, washing over the ground around her, illuminating the state of Mercury's face.

The skin that was left was nearly all red, muscle mass was peeling off, and the remnants of the eyes were puddles in the sockets. A valley was carved into the skull, the bones trying their best to hold form against Yang's fury, but were splintered every direction, some protruding outwards as they were knocked loose. A pool of liquid was forming under what was left of the skull, the light bouncing off, showering Yang in crimson light.

She lowered her fists slowly, though when she caught sight of them, her stomach curled. Red covered everything that was once bright yellow, the liquid moving down her and covering her hands underneath. She felt a droplet fall from her cheek, a tear stained with blood dripped onto the unmoving corpse underneath her. A wave of golden maroon hair swept into her vision, and it made her think of one person.

"...Ruby..."

The whisper seemed to echo throughout the crater she was in as the white light dissipated, leaving her in what felt like darkness. She slowly rose, her legs shaking from the energy she had exerted to get to this point. _'How did this happen. How did I...'_

A deafening howl was heard, cutting into Yang's thoughts as it drove her back to reality. Another howl echoed it, then another. The ground started shaking as something large started charging...

And she knew exactly what it was and who it was coming for.

* * *

 **AN:** A lot darker than normal, don't you think? This is one of the points in the story I wanted to make sure that this was rated M, so that I could describe this scene, as well as two others coming up in the story. This ending section was one of the hardest for me to write (taking me about 3 weeks alone) but I think it came out really well, and I hope you guys think so as well.

That being said, I have a bit of an announcement to make. Drum roll please... I'm going on hiatus! Yay, woo, alright...

Don't worry, it'll only be for one month and one week, so long as everything works out. Now, you may be thinking that that is extremely specific. Well, it is for a reason... 3 reasons.

1\. I need to write more for this story. I only have half of the next chapter down and want to make it is beautiful for you wonderful readers, as well as keep with the consistent updates (Though that might change? I want to keep consistent with this story).

2\. There are a couple of things happening in the next month (2 conventions and adjusting to a new job) and I don't want to over burden myself with this.

3\. One month from now will be July 6th, just after I return from RTX. Monday, July 11th, I will release chapter one of a new story! Now don't panic, it is only (so far) a three shot, and (so long as everything comes together) will be released that Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (July 11th, 13th, and 15th) with any extra chapters posted on Saturday. After that extra week, I shall return to weekly updates for Can You Hear Me.

Now, with all that announcement crap out of the way, I hope you are all looking forward to Satisfied, and that you all enjoyed this chapter. Again, please review, favorite, and follow. Everything helps.

-MM


	9. Arc 4: Black

Blake sprinted through the school grounds, weaving in and out of the damaged buildings and using her semblance to gain as much speed as possible. She had to make sure she got to him. _'Why is he here?'_ The same question repeated itself in her mind as she cut down any grimm in her path.

Each time it looped in her head, a memory would flash before her. They were scattered, but every one was of her and Adam, ranging from when they first met as kids to the last time they saw each other, the train carrying her further away. Each memory made her heart skip a beat.

She couldn't help but focus on one in particular. It felt like so long ago, but only a year had passed since.

* * *

Blake wandered the unfamiliar halls, still unsure of the newest hideout they had been forced to retreat to. The White Fang had been notorious for being elusive, sticking to the shadows and out of sight. But the police had somehow found out their location and stormed in. It was a miracle that it wasn't worse, though the result was much more than just a compromised safe house. Some White Fang members were captured before they could flee, and others were killed in the crossfire and panic.

As she took a right at the first intersection she came to, she sighed in defeat as the exact replica of the cream colored walls, grey carpeted floors, and unremarkable fluorescent lights of the hallway she had just left was right in front of her. Though she pressed onwards, wanting, no, needing to find an escape from this maze. She looked into every adjacent room she passed in hopes of finding either a shred of recognition, or another White Fang member to ask for directions. Yet emptiness was all she found.

That is, until she heard voices coming from a room nearby.

Using her second set of ears to guide her, Blake made her way to the noise, the new sense of direction better than wandering aimlessly. As she got closer, taking the last turn towards the voices, she heard that they had grown into near shouts, and she could understand what they were saying.

"-Never tried to lead the police to the hideout! We didn't know anyone was following us, let alone that we were pegged as White Fang members!" Blake recognized the voice as her father's.

"And yet, the police swarm our hideout shortly after your failed mission, is that correct?" Blake heard Adam say, quieter and in a more calm voice.

"No, it wasn't like that. We saw the target too heavily guarded to make an attack in broad daylight. You have to understand, Adam. If we had gone along with the mission as planned, we would be in prison right now." Blake's mother was the next voice that spoke.

"And the others that died and were taken prisoner in your place would have been spared." Adam replied, keeping his voice calm. "The hideout would not have been compromised, and we wouldn't have lost a major foothold in Vale. Not only that, but the media is now praising the police for their efforts, calling them heroes and turning away many of the Faunus that would want to join our cause."

Blake's parent's remained silent, taking in the reparations of their actions.

Blake silently made her way to the door, keeping out of sight and using her ears to keep track of what was happening.

"I think, due to this little... 'Mix-up' as you called it earlier, your efforts in the White Fang are no longer needed." Adam said.

Blake's blood froze. She recognized that phrase. It was what Adam said to every member that had lost favor in the organization and was about to be escorted out. Generally, it was by the tip of his own blade.

"No, please, we can make this up to you!" Blake's mother cried in desperation. "Please, think of our daughter!"

Blake's heart skipped a beat at the mention of herself. She stood perfectly still, frozen by what was happening before her.

"I will personally ensure that Blake is taken care of while you two are out on your new assignment." Adam said, his calm voice never faltering.

"Wait, you're giving us another chance?" Blake's father said in disbelief.

But Blake knew better. She knew exactly what that meant, and at this point, there was almost no way to stop it without her dying or being put on the White Fang's hit list. So she stayed. Against her brain shouting at her, to run in and defend her parents against Adam, she stood still, leaning back against the wall.

"I am not," Blake mouthed along with Adam.

"Th-then what's our new assignment?" Blake's father asked.

But Blake didn't stand around to hear the response she already knew. She ran to try to escape the nightmare she was living. Though she didn't make it far enough to drown out the screams of her parents crying out in agony.

She raced through the hallways, one blurring into the other as she turned randomly down another hallway. It didn't matter where she was going now, all she knew was that she had to go far away from them... and their now lifeless corpses.

As Blake rounded another corner, she tripped on something, sending her sprawling face first into the ground. She lifted herself onto her hands and knees, a sob escaping her lips and tears flowing down her face.

Her parents were dead, and she did nothing to stop it.

She looked up and saw, through her blurred vision, that she was just a few steps to the end of the hallway, opening up into a larger room. Though through the tears in her eyes, she couldn't make out any details. Just that it was large, open, and bright.

"Blake, are you alright?"

Blake jumped at the sudden voice and quickly spun her head around to see Adam standing over her. Panicked, she swiveled around with her arms and landed on her back, trying to crawl away. Though she was quickly met with a door that had closed behind her.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked, taking a step forward to compensate for the distance Blake tried to cover.

Blake didn't answer. She didn't know how to answer. If she told him the truth, she might very well be next on the chopping block. If she didn't, then she'd not only be accepting, but assisting in the murder of her own parents.

Adam made the choice for her, however, by extending his arm toward her. Blake hesitantly accepted, and was brought back up to her feet. Not a moment afterwards, he brought his other hand around her waist and brought her in for a kiss.

Blake tensed up at the familiar feeling that had once eased her worries, until the taste she previously enjoyed suddenly became bitter. She pulled back to see a smile stretch across his face.

"Feel better?" Adam asked. Blake refused to answer again, a thousand emotions swirling inside her as he laced his fingers with hers and guided her back down the hallway in silence.

* * *

A single tear dropped to the ground as Blake shifted her weapon into a pistol, throwing it out in front of her and connecting it to a building. She then used the ribbon to propel herself around the corner, right into the courtyard where she saw him.

Adam stood in the center of the courtyard, looking out at the destruction around him. Grimm were everywhere Blake looked, she had never seen so many, yet they ignored both of them as they stood.

"I'm glad you could make it, Blake." Adam slowly turned around, the grimm mask he always wore reminding her of so many things.

"Adam," Blake's mind was running a thousand miles a minute, "what are you doing here?"

"BLAKE!"

Blake turned around just in time to see a glimpse of her partner's blonde hair before she flew out of sight, the sounds of a building crashing was all she was left with.

"What are you going to do, Blake?" Adam whispered to her, though her cat ears picked it up perfectly.

Blake froze, torn at this crossroad. _'I've been running from this for so long that when he was mentioned, I immediately ran back to him. Now he's here, I can confront him, but... Is it worth losing my partner? Is it worth forfeiting the best thing to happen to me in the past year? How can I live with myself if I don't finish this? One way or another...'_

"I'm finishing this" Blake stood her ground and turned back to face her past.

"Good, I'm glad you decided to stay. Now we can have some time together and catch up, just like we used to." Adam slowly walked closer to the other Faunus, his hand on the hilt of his sword, yet his face was blank of any emotion.

"Just tell me this," Blake began, clenching her katana and sheath in her hands, "Why is the White Fang using grimm to attack a school that houses Faunus students? What statement are you making from this?"

Adam stopped his advance, his face widening into a full, creepy smile. "Why, Blake, this isn't the White Fang. They would never be able to pull off something like this alone. And this isn't about just Humans and Faunus anymore. This is about so much more. It's about what every person has done to Remnant. It's about the injustice that all Human and Faunus alike are guilty of committing. Look around you."

Blake kept her head forward, looking past Adam at the grimm rushing past them, like a wave crashing into a lone rock defiantly breaking the water. Not a single grimm went near them, not even taking notice of the rising tension.

"There is no one else here except for grimm, Blake. Though they know better than to interfere. This is happening, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. So instead of fighting against it," Adam reached out a hand, "join me. Join us. Do what you've always believed is right and fight for a better world. Fight with me. This world can be as great as you have dreamed it to be. All you need is to accept, and we can be together like we-"

"No."

The only sounds that could be heard were the rush of the grimm and small battles being fought far away from them.

"I see," Adam said, lowering his hand, "I guess you would rather die with your beliefs than see a perfect world."

"That's not true!"

"Oh, well then what is your reason for defying me again?"

Blake stared hard, meeting Adam's eyes behind his mask as another tear streaked down her face. "Because I would never join the man who killed my parents!" Blake lunged with her katana, swinging it above her head.

Adam unsheathed Wilt and brought it up to block the strike. The two blades connected and locked together. "They are gone, there is nothing you can do for them now. But I know you. I know this is about more than that. What we are doing is for the betterment of the world, and you would cast it aside for, what, two people who will be unable to partake in the glorious utopia that we shall bring with the cleansing of this world? I know there is something more." Adam pushed off his blade and spun around, slashing at Blake's midsection

Wilt bounced off Gambol Shroud's sheath as Blake brought up a defense of her own. "Glorious utopia? Cleansing of the world? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about what needs to be done to save Remnant. Now, what's holding you back from that?"

"I won't just stand aside while you kill millions of innocent people!" Blake cried, keeping her weapon close to her.

"Innocent?" Adam bared his teeth, "There is nothing innocent about these people, Blake. I have seen the truth. The real impact these 'innocent' people have had on Remnant, and I cannot stand by while their injustice remains unchecked. It's the same mindset you had when you first joined the White Fang, but now your judgment has been clouded."

Blake kept a defensive stance, looking at her opponent before her. "Adam… what happened to you?"

"I have seen true enlightenment, Blake. I have walked through the promised lands, and I have partaken in the sweet revelry of perfection. I have been shown the way, and I can show you as well."

Blake took a step back, confusion flooding her mind. "No, this isn't the real you. You've changed. You're… different. You aren't the man I fell in love with."

Adam took a step forward, anger starting to swell in his voice. "No, Blake, you don't get it. I'm still the same person, just polished and new. You, on the other hand. You have changed, yet you can't face it. You constantly run from anything and everything that could possibly show you who you've become. And in the end, you have nothing to show for it."

Blake stood her ground, her own emotions starting to rise. "That's not true. I do have something to show for it. I have found a place to call home. I have people who I can call friends. Who will be there for me no matter what!" She immediately thought back to her partner, having her own fight after trying to save her. "I feel I've gained so much in such a short time at Beacon, and there's nothing that will make me betray that."

Adam raised his sword and pointed it at his opponent. "I now know that you cannot be persuaded to understand my reasoning. You have disappointed me, Blake."

Adam rushed forward and swung just above Blake's head. She didn't have enough time to react, and cried out as she felt a burning pain radiating from the top of her head. She gripped Gambol Shroud and jumped away from a counter attack that never came. She felt blood oozing from her head and into her hair. Her ear shuddered at the liquid now flowing, but noticed how she was missing a distinct characteristic. Looking to her left she saw, just a few feet away, her right cat ear, cleanly severed off from her head.

She stared in horror as Adam moved into her view, standing between her and her lost ear. Blake shifted her focus back to the pale white grimm mask. "After what you've done, you don't deserve to be a Faunus anymore."

* * *

 **A/N:** So this chapter took a little longer than I thought it would, but I've been trying to deal with some stuff on my end. No worries, though. I should be coming out with these a little quicker, so no need to worry.

Now, about the chapter. This one was a little different from the other ones. Though, that was the intention when starting this. The same described fighting scenes again and again can be a little boring and repetitive, so I wanted to change up how this was going to go. Next chapter will see a little of the old with something new, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Also, about the flashback, it feels to me more like a dream than a flashback, but that was my intention... to a point. I feel, after such a dramatic experience as that, that your ability to remember it wouldn't be perfect. So is that flashback exactly what happened? Probably not, but there was enough there to piece together what was happening.

And now, on to some news... I am not able to keep a consistent schedule. That's it, nothing life changing or story ending. I will see this story out to the end, as well as Satisfied. I will also make a point to alternate between which story I do, so the next chapter I will release will be for Satisfied.

After the longest A/N I've made to this point, I hope you all enjoyed and that you leave a review as well as follow and favorite if you would like.

-MM


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